Fingerprint Scanners Wiki
Welcome to the Wiki Basic Information Fingerprint scanners are a type of bio-metric technology that uses your fingerprint instead of a password or PIN number to permit access to whatever needs to be secured. Background/Current Use The technique of fingerprinting has been around for centuries, since the second century in China; however it wasn’t until recently – up until one hundred years ago – that people started to use this technique for identification and criminal purposes (Mil'shtein & Doshi, 2004). Some of the current uses for fingerprint scanners are for buildings, governments and identification uses primarily. They have started to expand the use of biometric technology, primarily fingerprint use into a more commercial use as the technology becomes cheaper to manufacture. Security Aspects One of the concerns of the security of these fingerprint scanner is the chance that people can either steal information via attacking the scanners. Researchers Espinoza, Champod and Margot found that one the most common attack methods is to try and “spoof” the scanner with manufactured fingerprint molds (2011). They have found the scanners with lower resolutions can actually be fooled by the fake fingerprints, so not only are companies trying to improve on the resolution of these scanners, but the make it harder for attackers to spoof the system (Espinoza, Champod & Margot, 2011). There have been concerns about how to properly secure information for the use of fingerprint scanners, especially for the use of any databases that the fingerprints are uploaded to. These databases are one more piece of technology that can be hacked and exploited, so the database is an issue that needs to be safely secured. Ethical/Legal Since fingerprints are unique to every person, they are an easy way to secure information, however, if the databases for these prints are hacked, they can be used to access sensitive information. One of the most important legal ramifications when dealing with biometric scanning, is the potential of inaccuracy between different scanners. Researcher Kathy Scherer realizes the necessity of enacting legislation to protect the standards of the scanners to protect sensitive information (2005). With the constant improvement of technology, it is smart to realize that the scanners are only going to get more sophisticated, but at the same time it is going to be more expensive to develop initially. The increased security of these devices will “ensure that personal and private information are not unnecessarily divulged… without consent” (Scherer, 2005). Social Implications Fingerprint scanning will soon take the place of passwords, pins and other security phrases, due to the uniqueness of our fingerprints, so this technology will become widespread in our society soon. One of the most common problems that people face nowadays is the potential of credit card fraud and identity theft. A solution to increased protection for consumers is the implementation of using biometric technology in the use of credit card and financial security. Since many unauthorized users can use the credit cards without the PIN number, adding a required fingerprint scan to the existing system would allow customers to secure their information and to keep retail lines efficient (Torbet, Marshall & Jones, 1995). Future Use These types of biometric technologies will become more and more prevalent in our day-to-day lives as the technology becomes easier and cheaper to manufacture, like in phones and mobile readers. Along with these day-to-day uses, one use for fingerprint scanning is for air travel and for the advancement of passport security. Since it is becoming harder and harder to trick fingerprint scanners, it makes sense that the extra security would be very useful to prevent the forging of official document and to expedite identity checks when traveling outside the country (Malcík & Drahanský, 2012). References Used Espinoza, M., Champod, C., & Margot, P. (2011). Vulnerabilities of fingerprint reader to fake fingerprints attacks. Forensic Science International (Online), 204(1), 41-49. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.05.002 Malcík, D., & Drahanský, M. (2012). Anatomy of biometric passports. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1038811483?accountid=14541 Mil'shtein, S., & Doshi, U. (2004). Scanning the pressure-induced distortion of fingerprints. Scanning, 26(6), 270-272. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/67194323?accountid=14541 Scherer, K. (2005). BIOMETRICS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. Futurics, 29(3), 83-87. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/219812399?accountid=14541 Singh, V., Jangra, A., & Kundu, A. (2011). Efficient secure authentication policies using biometrics. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science, 2(1) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1443705540?accountid=14541 Torbet, G. E., Marshall, I. M., & Jones, S. (1995). One in the eye to plastic card fraud. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 23(5), 3. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/210970152?accountid=14541 Latest activity Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Find videos about your topic by exploring Fandom's Video Library. Category:Browse